Daughter finds treasure’ in excavated driveway

Marty Wheat, left, points out artifacts as his daughter Presleigh, 3, looks on at their home in Havana Junction outside Moundville, Friday. Wheat was replacing his driveway when he found hoards of old artifacts including nails, bottles, cast iron pots and horseshoes dating back to as far as pre-Civil War times.

Dusty Compton / Tuscaloosa News

By Whitney HobsonSpecial to the Tuscaloosa News

Published: Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, October 30, 2009 at 11:09 p.m.

HAVANA | One man’s driveway can end up being his daughter’s treasure.

After Marty Wheat’s driveway in Havana was excavated on Tuesday, his young daughter, Presleigh, took to the dirt to play. She began finding objects buried in the dirt — not ordinary objects, but things like plates, homemade nails and even a piece of an old Coca-Cola bottle dated 1915.

“She’s like a kid in the candy store, saying, ‘Come look at my treasure! Come look at my treasure!’ It may just be a rock or something, but she’s found a third of this stuff,” said Wheat, pointing at a table full of the objects found.

Wheat said that he and Presleigh have found several interesting objects where the driveway used to be and are enjoying digging in it before it gets repaved. They each have a shovel and trowel and a big bucket of water that they are using to uncover and clean the objects.

Wheat uncovered a hook and what seems to be the top of a lantern. He also found what he thinks might be a knife sticking up from the ground.

“I want to say this could be a knife,” Wheat said. “When we were excavating, it was standing up a bit and (a plow) swiped the top of it and maybe bent the blade, so I don’t know.”

He also uncovered what he thinks might be a few pieces of human bone. The sides of the bones are grooved, like a saw might have been used to cut it. While he has no details on what sort of bones they are, or the creature they may have come from, Wheat has pondered possible scenarios. Maybe a soldier returned home from the Civil War and had to have an arm or leg amputated. It could even be related to the knife.

Wheat said this is not the first time he has found objects buried in his yard. His wife’s ancestors five or six generations back founded the area, and the family has been living on that plot of land ever since.

“We got married in 2001 and I guess we moved out here in 2003,” Wheat said. “I’ve been digging in the backyard ever since we got here. I’ll dig a little bit and the dog will dig a little bit.”

There’s an old building in the backyard where Wheat has found several artifacts intact.

“This is the oldest standing structure in Havana,” Wheat said. “We don’t actually know what it was used for. It was used as a smokehouse when my wife’s family and her grandmother lived here.”

While digging around the building, Wheat has found a few bottles in pristine condition. Among the objects is a brown bottle that Wheat thinks was used to hold either medicine or snuff. He remembers his grandmother talking about how snuff used to come in brown bottles. He has also found a glass Vaseline jar.

“It was hand blown, and the only reason I know it was hand blown is cause it has air bubbles in it,” Wheat said. “And it’s from New York.”

Wheat said Presleigh is having so much fun finding “treasures” that it is difficult to get her to come inside sometimes.

“It might all just be minor stuff, but it’s something we can do together and we love it,” he said.

<p>HAVANA | One man’s driveway can end up being his daughter’s treasure.</p><p>After Marty Wheat’s driveway in Havana was excavated on Tuesday, his young daughter, Presleigh, took to the dirt to play. She began finding objects buried in the dirt  not ordinary objects, but things like plates, homemade nails and even a piece of an old Coca-Cola bottle dated 1915.</p><p>She’s like a kid in the candy store, saying, Come look at my treasure! Come look at my treasure!’ It may just be a rock or something, but she’s found a third of this stuff, said Wheat, pointing at a table full of the objects found.</p><p>Wheat said that he and Presleigh have found several interesting objects where the driveway used to be and are enjoying digging in it before it gets repaved. They each have a shovel and trowel and a big bucket of water that they are using to uncover and clean the objects.</p><p>Wheat uncovered a hook and what seems to be the top of a lantern. He also found what he thinks might be a knife sticking up from the ground.</p><p>I want to say this could be a knife, Wheat said. When we were excavating, it was standing up a bit and (a plow) swiped the top of it and maybe bent the blade, so I don’t know.</p><p>He also uncovered what he thinks might be a few pieces of human bone. The sides of the bones are grooved, like a saw might have been used to cut it. While he has no details on what sort of bones they are, or the creature they may have come from, Wheat has pondered possible scenarios. Maybe a soldier returned home from the Civil War and had to have an arm or leg amputated. It could even be related to the knife.</p><p>Wheat said this is not the first time he has found objects buried in his yard. His wife’s ancestors five or six generations back founded the area, and the family has been living on that plot of land ever since.</p><p>We got married in 2001 and I guess we moved out here in 2003, Wheat said. I’ve been digging in the backyard ever since we got here. I’ll dig a little bit and the dog will dig a little bit. </p><p>There’s an old building in the backyard where Wheat has found several artifacts intact.</p><p>This is the oldest standing structure in Havana, Wheat said. We don’t actually know what it was used for. It was used as a smokehouse when my wife’s family and her grandmother lived here.</p><p>While digging around the building, Wheat has found a few bottles in pristine condition. Among the objects is a brown bottle that Wheat thinks was used to hold either medicine or snuff. He remembers his grandmother talking about how snuff used to come in brown bottles. He has also found a glass Vaseline jar.</p><p>It was hand blown, and the only reason I know it was hand blown is cause it has air bubbles in it, Wheat said. And it’s from New York.</p><p>Wheat said Presleigh is having so much fun finding treasures that it is difficult to get her to come inside sometimes.</p><p>It might all just be minor stuff, but it’s something we can do together and we love it, he said.</p>